Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-03-25
81 would I were not q coward.n aud

| Nv COuNGTSutlOus Ilcllll1G uelu ueT pSuGcs
Never, to her knowledge, had her cousin
exhibited such a mysterious phase of con-
duct as now, and as she still believed she
had dragged" her to "the shore" she
anSiously awaited developments, which she
was sure would come ere long.
They were i'll their rooms. Aunt Sher-
mn had gone put for the evening with
some friends; the windows looking out to-
ward the restless old Atlantic were open,
and the breeze came softly over the case
ment, frei2hted with the merry music of q
violin below.
Ethel leaned back among the cushions Of
her chair and sighed deeply. Hermie had
been watching the warm tints of the sun
sct Oh the water. and exclaimed enthusiasts
tically, show beautiful"
ooh! yes" said Miss Sangster, sarcastic
enough to dampen any effervescing nature.
"cvery prospect p%leases, and only man is
vile."
"You don't mean that quotation at all
don't believe ii altogether, either" laughed
Hermie, in spite of Ethel's mood.
Il know 1 don't" she assented, YEARLY.
"Well, why do you quote it then?"
ITO ease my conscience. Now ask me
why again, Iermie. 1 know you wish
to-"
81 should like to. very muc.-if-'
"lf You dared; if You thought I'd answer
You; is that it?"
Yes"
"Well. to begin, ! have no objections to
telling what is in my heart, whatever. I
have only been waiting for Hermie AIMS
court, true daughter of Eve, to ask me
why"
Hermie laughed nervously. "Well," she
said, ego on"
81 will, on two conditions"
"Name them, Ethel"
"One is, that Aunt Sherman is never en-
lightened in reference to my coming con-
f%ession; and the other, is that you will ask
me no questions during the recital"
agreed" cried Hermie, excitedly, set
Ting herself with expectant Dir, and folding
her dimpled hands over the book in her
lap.
well then" began Miss Sangster. clos
ing her eyes. and growing q trifle pale and
agitated. 81 am afraid 1 have killed some
body"
"Why, Ethel!" exclaimed her cousin,
bending over the arm of her chair with
panied face, "you don't mean that, do
you?"
ooh! not with poison or weapons, dear"
Miss Sangster explained. with q little,
sickly smile, "but you were not to ask
questions, remember.
ooh! 1 had quite forgotten; you fright
cned me so at the outset, that, 1 am sure,
my forgetfrlness is quite p%ardonable."
"Granted; now let me see where I left
off, or rather where I began" catching at
the tangled threads of her troublous times
mentally: "You remember Cyril Mortimer
who was with us at the springs last
year?:"
eyes; and I've often thought there never
was a handsomer or more agreeable man
in the world"
"1ou are right, for once, Hermie; there
never was; and it is he, of whom I speak" "
Broken his heart with your wicked fir
t%ations, I presume"
"Be careful, now OF you will ask another
question before YOU are aware of it."
sTo DO sure" assented Hermie, subsid-
ing into deferential decorum once more,
after saying rather impatiently, "new do go
on. or 1 shall die Of curiosity, and then you
will have tro murders on your uneasy con-
science, instead of one"
"Hermie." the tones were low and dep
recating, and Miss Sangster opened he,
eyes long enough to look reproachfully al
her uneasy auditor, then continued: "Cyril
Mortimer loves me %devotedly, I presume,
and well, I would accept him if 1 were
not afraid he might be a fortune hunter
There's a deal of risk to run in marrying q
poor man, if you are unfortunate enough
to be the possessor Of money. How is she
to know, poor girl of wealth, but that it is
her money and not her, that has won hel
husband? Now, if 1 had been poor wher
Cyril Mortimer gave me his heart with sc
much seeming earnestpess, why, l should
have been his wife, long ago. as it isl dc
not know what 10 do. The last time he
came to me for an answer, I was still un.
decided, and went away-heart- weary. j
presume, if I were to Judge from his white,
panied face"
"You deserve to live and die a miserable
old maid, Ethel"
(Which I may do; who knows? His face
has haunted me for months"
"But you won't. There's no danger"
"Why not? I nm sure I shall never lows
anybody else"
"But you will come 10 your sense.
shortly and marry Cyril Mortimer, as yor
ought to-"
81 am not SO sure of that; he gave ME 81,
months to make up my mind, and the tim
is up next week."
SWELL, he will put in an appearance il
due season; I'll answer for that, if he is il
earnest"
Here Miss Sangster covered her white
grieved face with her hands and moaned il
deep distress. But he cannot do that,
she sobbed; che is very ill at Uncle Ned's
in st. Augustine, and I verify believe m,
vacillation is the cause of it ALL"
"And we came right through st. Angus,
tine, and within a stones throw of you,
Uncle Neds, and you, knowing all this
could not even call to see how he was!